Heating apparatus



Dec. 23, 1952 A. BECKER 2,622,853

HEATING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 3, 1948 IN VEN TOR. afaZf/eC/fer Patented Dec. 23, 1952 UNITED 2,622,853 nEAfrrNG APPARATUS Harold A. Becker, La Grange, Ill., assignor to Universal ,Oil Products Company, Chicago, lll., a

corporation of Delaware Application November 3, likt, Serial No. 58,091

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates .to an improved means for heating fluid streams and more particularly to a heating apparatus or reactor Which provides uniform heating for a .plurality of tubes or conduits conducting a duid medium Vundergoing conversion.

The present improved heating .apparatus is such that either a liquid vor gaseous heating medium may be passed through the unit V and provide substantially uniform heating, lor cooling, for a uid being passed through a plurality of tubular conduits. Many industrial processes, including those devoted `to the catalytic yconversion of hydrocarbons, for example, employ combustion gases as a convective medium for Controlling the temperature of the reaction. Toaccomplish this it is a common practice to provide .a Areactor or heat exchange apparatus, vof vthe shell and tube type and to pass the reactant in v`a plurality of smailer streams through the tubular elements, with hot combustion gases employed as ,theconvective .medium :being passed continuously in indirect heat ,exchange relationship ,with the reactant streams.

One of the major advantages in `the .use of combustion gases .asa convective duid is the fact that the temperature vlof thecirculating heating streams may be regulated ,at .a Lpoint exterior of the heat exchange or reactor-apparatus by commingling freshly generated hot combusion gases with the circulating stream in .a portion ofthe circuit exterior of theheating apparatus'. On the other hand, there is a disadvantage encountered in many types .of .tubular lheat ,exchangers yor reactors in that they do .not provide uniform heating to VVeach Yof the .individual .tubular niembers that pass through theunit kand .as aresult a uniform conversion of. the .reactant .streams :in each of the pluralityof tubular .members is not obtained.

It is therefore a principalobject ofthe present invention to provide a heating .apparatus Ywhich enectsa substantially lunformheating, fluid rcontact with each of a plurality .ofgtubularmembers lt is also an object.ofrthepresent,invention to provide a heating apparatus ywhichhaslmeansto uniformly heat a :pluralityof tubular lmernbers or conduits .extending lthrough A`a heating apparatus lin a manner whereby thezheatingmedium may pass either concurrently. withorcountercurrently with respect to thereactant streampassing through each of the tubular members.

It is 2 Still further object of the inventionto gravide a l heating apparatus -thatgis ioarticularlv adaptdto utilize asaseousheatine medium `to a effect a uniform temperature control With-ln each of ha plurality of tubular members, With the lat'- ter being adapted to maintain a catalytic material.

Briey, the improved heating apparatus of this invention comprises in combination, a Acylindrical housing, a plurality Vof fluid conduits, or tubular members extending longitudinally through the housing. said conduits vbeine placed in a Circular arrangement and spaced uniformly around `the interior of the housing, iiuid inlet vand outlet means connecting with each of the conduits, a partitioning member xspaczed a short distance from each Jend of the housing and forming thereby Aa `convective fluid distributing section at one end 0f .the housing and a 4convective fluid .v01- iectins section at theend thereof, an open-ended sleeve placed concentrically around each of the plurality yo f conduits and extending between the partitioning members and the convective iiud distributing and collecting sections, a convective medium inlet connectingcentrally with the distributing section at 4one end of the housing and a convective medium outletfconnecting centrally with the collecting section `at the opposite end of the housing.

The circular -housing vand Vthe circular arrangement of the vtubular vmembers and their concentrically encompassing `sleeves provides an apparatus .which is ,particularly ,desirable for operations requiring the uniform heating of eachofthe individual tubular members extending through the heat exchange apparatus. In operationthe convective medium flows through the uid distributing sectionsat one `end of the 4housing and distributes itself substantially .uniformly ,through each .of `the sleeves and .thus into a 'pluralityof concentric annular-shaped fluid streams, one for each of the plurality of tubularmembers, so that as a resuit each of the latter are heated lin a substantially .uniformmannen Many of the conventional types of tubular .heaters or' heat eX- changefapparatu's .place a plurality of tubular members Lor `conduits ,in a relativelyv compact grouping .so that it is diiiicult to uniformly distribute the'heating or convective medium equally and uniformly around each o'f the tubular members. A compact arrangement of 'the" tubular members also results in 'another' disadvantage, in thatth'e'inner' tubes tend fto have' a'lhigher temperature in' an exotherr'n'ic operation than the outer tubes, While conversely, an"`endot`hermic operation the inner tubes tend to operate cooler than theoutertubes ofthe tubebankl ,The improved arrangement equalizes `theeectof radiant heating between thetubular members.

The .present reactor or heat exchange app-aratus of this invention is particularly useful for various catalytic conversion operations, either endothermic or exothermic. For example, the catalytic dehydrogenation of butane is Aadvantageously conducted in a reactor of the heat cxchange type employing a plurality of relatively small tubes as reaction zones. A solid granular dehydrogenating catalyst is disposed within the tubes and means provided for supplying reactants thereto and removingr the resulting conversion products therefrom. The dehydrogenating reaction is of an endothermic nature, therefore, a convective heating iluid such as hot flue gases may be circulated about the tubes to supply heat thereto. During the process operation, a carbonaceous deposit accummulates on the catalyst particles and deactivates the catalyst material, therefore, periodically it is necessary to burn and remove the carbonaceous deposit from the catalyst in order to reactivate the material and permit its continued use for the dehydrogenat-ion of the hydrocarbon stream.

In the reactivation or regeneration of the catalyst, there is a removal of the deleterious carbonaceous material from the catalyst by passing controlled amounts of oxygen containing gases through the catalyst bed maintained within each of the tubes and the deposit is oxidized from the catalyst material. ing operation is an exothermic one which tends to increase the temperature of the catalyst bed. However, in order to prevent the catalyst material from being heated to an excessive temperature whi-ch would harmfully deactivate the material, a cooler convective medium may be passed around the tubes to abstract heat liberated by the combustion of the carbonaceous deposits. The temperature of the convective fluid, should of course be carefully controlled for both the conversion and reactivating steps, in order to provide a proper endothermic temperature for the conversion reaction and in order to suitably carry away exothermic heat during the reactivation step, without unduly cooling the catalyst bed. The uniform flow and distribution of the convective fluid to each annular zone or iiow channel around each of the tubular reaction zones, provides a .processing advantage over many of the prior types of reactors and results in a substanti-ally uniform product stream from each of the plurality of tubular contacting beds.

The improved reactor of this invention is also adaptable for the catalytic reforming of hydrocarbon streams, in an operation utilizing a plur-ality of tubular contact zones having xed beds of a reforming catalyst. Catalytic reforming operations generally require high heat inputs to the rst portions of the catalyst tubes and a lower heat input at the outlet end of the tubes, for normally the initial contact between the reactant stream and he catalyst bed is highly endothermic and is progressively less so as the stream passes through the remainder of the bed to the outlet end of this contacting zone. The present reactor is particularly ideal for such operations for a high heat input to the first part of the tube may be accomplished by circulating a relatively small quantity of heating medium at a relatively high inlet temperature, and in a flow that is concurrent with the reactant stream through the tubular contacting zone.

It may be pointed out however, that where a more uniform heat input is required to the catalyst bed for a different conversion operation,

The oxidizing and reactivat- 4 a larger quantity of gas can be circulated at a lower inlet temperature, while in still another operation, where higher rates of heat input are required toward the outlet end of the contacting tube, the present reactor may be arranged such that the heating medium flows in a direction countercurrent to the reactant stream passing through the catalyst bed in the tubes.

A more specific embodiment of the improved heating apparatus of this invention comprises in combination, an insulated cylindrical housing, a pluraiity of tubular members extending longitudinally through the housing, the tubular niembers or elongated conduits being yplaced in a circular arrangement and spaced uniformly from one another as well as from the wall of the housing around the interior thereof, a fluid inlet header connecting with each of the tubular members lat one end thereof and a fluid outlet header con* necting with the opposite end of each of the tubular members at the other end of the unit, a partitioning member spaced a short distance from each of the ends of the housing and forming thereby a convective medium distributing section at one end of the housing and a convective medium collecting section Iat the other end thereof, a cylindrical and insulated inner partitioning wall spaced concentrically within said circular arrangement of tubular members at a distance substantially equal to the distance these tubes are spaced from the wall of the cylindrical housing, the inner insulated partitioning wall forming thereby an annular insulated section around the ring of tubular members, an open-ended sleeve placed concentrically around each of the plurality of tubular members and extending between the partitioning members at the ends of the housing, the open-ended sleeves forming thereby a plurality of annular-shaped channels connecting between the convective medium distributing and collecting sections, a convective medium inlet connecting with the distributing section at one end of the housing and a convective medi-um outlet connecting with the collecting section at the opposite end of the housing, a continuous insulated duct connecting between the convective medium distributing and collecting sections external of said housing, a convective medium inlet means connecting with the duct, and circulating means `connecting with the duct providing a recycling of a major portion of the convective medium from the outlet end of the housing of the inlet end thereof.

An insulating conduit or duct connecting between the -convective fluid inlet and outlet of the housing, together with means to introduce a heating luid and mechanical circulating means, provide a complete unit adaptable to many processing operations. Where hot combustion gases are utilized as the convective heating medium owing through the reactor section, suitable burners may be attached to the conduit or duct work for circulating the hot combustion gases and thus provide the necessary high temperature gases being circulated to the reactor section. A suitable blower may also be connected with the circulating duct work in order to recycle the gases through the unit while alternately, a suitable pump or like means may be connected with a unit passing a liquid heating or cooling medium through the reactor section as the convective medium.

Reference to the accompanying drawing will serve to clarify the construction features of the improved reactor or heating apparatus, while acca-etc Figure 1 of the drawing, is an elevational view,

partially in section, of the heating apparatus embodying the features of this invention.

Figure 2 of the drawing is a sectional plan view through the reactor or heat exchange section, as indicated by line 2-2 in Figure 1, showing the arrangement of the tubular elements.

Figure 3 of the drawing is a sectional plan view through an alternate embodiment of the reactor, wherein more than one circular ring of tubular members extends through the cylindrical housing of the reactor.

Referring now to Figures l and 2 of the drawing, there is indicated a cylindrical housing I having insulating material 2 on the interiorthereof. This insulating material may be of any desirable type such as a preformed Vblock type of material of mineral wool, lglass bres, etc., or alternately, a cementiti-ous insulating concrete mix, such as lumnite cement exfoliated vermiculite, or the like, and although not indicated in the drawing, an insulating material may advantageously be used on the exterior 4of the housing I. Extending longitudinally through the housing I are a plurality of tubular members or conduits 3, which in this embodiment, are indicated as being supported by suitable lugs or bracket members l at the upper end thereof so that they7 may extend longitudinally down through the reactor housing and expand longitudinally thru the lower end of the unit. Although not shown, suitable packing glands may be utilized around each tube at the bottom of the housing to eliminate the loss of convective medium from the housing. Also, the tubes 3 are indicated, in this embodiment, as having flanged ends at both the upper and lower ends so that a powdered or granular catalytic material may be placed in and removed from each of the tubes. Removal plugs or other types of closures may of course be used at either end of the tubes if desired.

A fluid reactant stream is charged to the reactor and to the plurality of tubular conduits 3 by way of inlet line 5 having control valve 6 and a distributing header 1, which in turn has a plurality of connecting lines 8 suitable to distribute the luid medium uniformly from the header into each of the plurality of 4tubular conduits 3. In the preferred embodiment of the apparatus such as indicated lin the drawing, the distribution header 1 is circular and the connecting lines 8 are of the same length and size so that the material is distributed uniformly to each of the tubular members 3 which in turn are arranged in the reactor housing in a circular manner as shown in Figure 2 of the drawlng.

Inside of the housing I is an upper tube sheet e which extends across 'the entire diameter of the housing and is spaced a short distance below the upper end of the housing I. Likewise, at the lower end of the housing I is a tube 'sheet or partition It] which extends across the inside of the housing a spaced distance from the lower end thereof. The tube sheets 9 and Il] thus provide partitioning members `which in turn form an upper convective uid distributing zone II and a lower convective iiuid collecting section i2. Extending between the partitioning plates 9 and It is a Cylindrical partitioning wall 3 which is insulated on the exterior thereof with an insulating layer I4, which preferably is of a similar nature and of a similar thickness to that of the insulating layer 2 on the housing I. There is thus formed between the inner cylindrical wall I3 and the outer cylindrical housing vI an annular space I5 which is insulated and through which the plurality of tubular members 3 extend longitudinally.

In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus, the tubular members 3 are spaced in a circular manner around the inside of the housing at a rather short distance Vfrom the insulating material 2 and the inner partitioning wall I3 is placed concentrically in the ring of tubes 3 such that it is a relatively short distance 'from the tubular members in order that a -rather narrow annular space I5 is provided between the two walls. In other Words, the ring of tubular members 3 is placed concentrically between the two cylindrical and insulated Walls `of the chamber. Positioned concentrically around each of the tubular members 3 is an open-ended sleeve 'I6 which `extends longitudinally between vthe `partitioning plates 9 and It and Athe respective upper and lower convective fluid distributing zones vII and I2. This construction thus provides an annular channel around each tubular member 3 between the upper and lower -convective medium headers, il and I2 respectively. The partitioning plates or tube sheets 9 and "It are rof course open atthe points where they connect with 'each of the openended sleeves It, such that the convective uid may be channeled around the tubular Amembers from one end of the housing to the other.

As at the upper end of the reactor, a circular header Il is connected with the lower ends of each of the tubular members 3 by means of suitable connecting lines I3, in order that the heated reactant stream, or alternately cooled stream, may be withdrawn uniformly from each of the tubular sections vand discharged to other processing equipment by Way of line I9 having control valve 2i).

In this reactor, the convective medium which passes in heat exchange relationship with the tubular members, is introduced by means of inlet 2i, at the center of the housing I and the uid distributing Zone II, while likewise at the lower end of the unit the convective medium is withdrawn from the center of the convective fiuid collecting header I2 and the housing, by means of outlet 42.

With the convective uid 'inlet 2i positioned symmetrically with respect to the plurality of tubular members 3 and the use of lthe restricted r'iow channels as provided by the plurality of open-ended sleeve It, there is insured a substantially uniform iiow of the convective heating medium through the housing and substantially uniform heating of each `of the individual tubular members v3. The circular arrangement of the tubes and the open-ended sleeves 'although sub stantially eliminating any heating of the individual tubes by radiant heating `from one tube to another, equalizes such radiant heating effect and insures that each individual tubular conduit is primarily heated by means of the convective iiuid passing in the confined annular spaces l5 within each of the plurality of sleeves iii. Thus, the uniform distribution of the convective fluid, whether a heating or cooling medium, and the uniform distribution and collection of the reactant streams by means of the circular headers at the top and bottom of the housing, -there is insured a substantially uniform processing of the reactant stream within each'individual tubular member.

In this embodiment, theA hot convective medium being passed around the tubular members 3 is indicated as being a hot combustion gas stream supplied by means of one or more burners 23 in a combustion chamber which connects with duct 24, that, in turn connects with and discharges into the inlet 2| at the top of the housing I. The present embodiment also provides means to recirculate a major portion of the hot combustion gases in order that they not be wasted and may be utilized in a continuously circulating stream. The hot gaseous stream after passing downwardly through the reactor chamber and each of the sleeves I6 is withdrawn from the lower header collecting section I2 and passes through the outlet 22 into the duct 25, which in turn connects with a blower 26, or other means suitable to maintain a circulation of a gaseous medium. Blower 26 in turn discharges into a duct 2, that communicates with the heat supplying burners 23 and inlet duct 24. Connecting with the duct 2l is an outlet conduit 28 having a damper 29 therein, suitable to permit the venting or discharge of a minor portion of the flue gases, as may be necessary. Control of the burner 23 and of the quantity and temperature of the hot combustion gases may be maintained through the fuel supplied through line 3G, having control valve 3i, and the air supply by way of line 32 having control valve 33.

In a preferred operation of the reactor and of the entire heat exchange unit, suitable controls may be utilized to effect a continuous and automatic operation of the burner 23 and of the blower 26 in order that a suitable temperature convetive stream is passed around the individual tubular members 3 in which a particular conversion is being carried out. For example, let it be assumed that an endothermic catalytic conversion operation, such as the catalytic reforming of low grade gasoline or naphtha stream is being effected in the unit, and a hot combustion gas stream is being circulated downwardly through the heat exchange passageways of the reactor, concurrently with the flow of the reactant stream in each of the tubular members The conversion operation being endothermic, a heat supplying combustion gas stream is passed to and distributed from the header section Ii at a temperature regulated by the hot combustion gases being supplied from burner 23, which in turn is adjusted in response to the temperature requirement at the upper end of each of the tubular conversion conduits 3. While, in addition the quantity of hot flue gases being circulated may be controlled by the heat requirements along the lower portion of each of the tubular members I as indicated by suitable temperature indicating means connecting therewith, and operative on the blower 26 in order to control the quantity of convective fluid passing through the reactor unit. In a catalytic reforming operation, normally a large amount of heat is required at the inlet end of the reactor tubes while a lesser amount is needed in the lower portion thereof and as a result the convective medium would be passed at a relatively high temperature through the system but in a rather small volume of quantity so that the temperature of the convective stream would be dissipated to the tubular members as it passes downwardly through the annular flow channel as provided by each of the open-ended sleeves I6. However, as

previously noted hereinabove, if a more uniform heat input is required for an operation of a different nature, a larger quantity of the convective medium may be circulated through the reactor in heat exchange relationship with the tubes to provide a more uniform heating throughout the entire length of the tubular member.

It is also within the scope of the present apparatus to have the fiows of the reactant streams, or alternately of the convective medium, reversed such that either the reactant stream is entering the lower header I'I to pass upwardly countercurrently to the convective medium, or to change the positioning of the blower 2S so that the hot convective medium enters the lower end of the reactor housing, to pass upwardly countercurrently to a reactant stream being introduced at the top of the unit through the header 1.

Although the embodiment of the improved reactor or heat exchange apparatus as indicated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing is substantially diagrammatic, certain desirable construction features may be utilized in a preferred embodiment of the reactor. For example, each of the horizontal partitioning members 9 and I3 may be provided with suitable concentric corrugations or oisets, such as between the inner cylindrical partitioning wall I3 and the circular row of sleeves IS, as well as at their outer peripheries where they join with the housing I. Suitable corrugations of this type permit expansion of the sleeves I3, longitudinally with respect to the inner partitioning walls I3 and the outer wall of the housing I and prevent injurious displacement or buckling of each of the partitioning plates 9 and Ill. Also, in a preferred embodiment of the heating apparatus, suitable insulation is placed within each of the convection uid headers II and I2 at each end of the housing I, as well as within the convective fluid ducts 24, 25 and 21, in order to prevent injury from the hot gases or other fiuid medium which passes through the duct work.

Referring now to Figure 3 of the drawing, there is shown an alternate embodiment of the reactor or heating apparatus which maintains more than one ring or circular row of tubular members passing through the housing. In this alternate embodiment there is an outer cylindrical housing I having an inner layer of insulating material 2', an intermediate partitioning wall 35 and an inner cylindrical partitioning wall I3 having insulation I 4 attached thereto. Spaced uniformly and equidistantly in a circular arrangement are a plurality of tubular conduits 36. As in Figure 1 of the drawing, an open-ended sleeve 31 is placed concentrically around each of the tubular members 36 so that there is thus formed a plurality of annular uid channels around each tubular member that is suitable to transfer a convective heating or cooling medium from one end of Ithe housing I to the other end, in the aforedescribed manner for Figure 1 of the drawing. A second row of tubular members 38 is arranged circularly between the intermediate partitioning wall 35 and the inner partitioning member I3', and around each of the plurality of tubular members 38 is an open-ended sleeve 39, which as in the manner of the other tubular members provides an open annular-shaped fluid channel around each of the individual tubes 38.

In the embodiment of Figure 3, the convective medium is charged into the distributing header at the end of the housing at the center thereof, so that the fluid medium is distributed substantially aeaaesa uniformly laterally and radially outward to each of the open-ended sleeves which connect With the header section. The symmetrical arrangement of the apparatus and the concentric circular arrangement of each of the rows of the tubular members and their encompassing open-ended sleeves, insures a substantially uniform flow of the convective medium to each of the individual tubular members and an efficient uniform conversion may be accomplished in each of the individual members of the long tubular chambers 39 and 33. With suitably proportioned open-ended sleeves 37 and 39, or alternately by the use of suitably arranged partitioning or battling inembers within the convective fluid distribution header at the end or" the housing, the flow of the convective heating medium can be substantially equaliaed as to quantity and temperature flowing downwardly around each or" the tubular conduits.

It is not intended to limit this improved heat exchange apparatus or reactor to the utilization of any particular number of tubular members in each of the concentric rows nor to any particular number of rows within the housing, for in a large diameter unit a rnultiplicitt7 oi concentric tubes and open-ended sleeves surrounding them may be economically and desirably placed longitudinally through the housing. Also,

it is not intended to limit the use of the heating apparatus to any particular conversion operation, for as noted hereinabove the apparatus is particularly adaptable to catalytic operations wherein the catalyst material is placed within each of the plurality of tubular members. However, the improved apparatus may be used advantageously as a heat exchange apparatus accommodating fluid streams being heated or cooled in a noncatalytic operation.

I claim as my invention:

A heat exchange apparatus comprising a cylindrical housing having end closures, partitioning members within and extending across the end portions of said housing and spaced from said closures to fori a header section at each end of the housing, a convective fluid inlet connected centrally with one of said header sections, a convective fluid outlet connected centrally with the other of said header sections, a plurality of elongated fluid conduits extending through said end closures and header sections and `positioned in a circular arrangement around the interior of the housing, iluid inlet and outlet means for said conduits, and an open-ended sleeve disposed conoentrically around and spaced from each of said fluid conduits and extending between said partitioning members to provide communication between said header sections.

HARGLD A. BECKER.

CES @FEED The following references are of record in the le or" this patent:

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